Some Progress

Arno's friend, Janis, has been living out here four days a week, working on getting the place going. He couldn't afford to buy a share in his privatized workshop, and had to leave it. Last year, the lumber saw perched over a hole in the ground. Now it's finally cutting lumber. The old kiln (the new roof blew off last year) is pretty much demolished. Janis has been putting up new rafters - he diplays confidence in his handiwork as he poses underneath. We climb up for a look. Maris says Janis is making progress here, but right now it's a building without a purpose.

All is not work, though. Behind the old kiln house is a little sauna, complete with windows. The best therapy after a hard day's work is to go perties pirti, literally, "to spank oneself [yes, each other is more fun and socially acceptable] with birch twigs in a sauna."